Epilogue of Heroes
by BBirdy
Summary: "Why are you here Valdez?" she asked, lifting her head. "I swore I would find you," my hands still held her close, "I swore on the river Styx." She looked at me, appalled, "you're so stupid." "You know you love it," I smiled. "Obviously," she smiled and kissed me.
I stepped off a fully formed Festus. His disk was damaged and the journey here had taken out everything he had. He was tired. There was nothing I could do for him.

He fell to the ground with a crash and a wave of sand.

From far out of my line of sight I heard someone. "Who's there!" it shouted. "Go away!"

"Calypso?" I sputtered, spitting out sand and brushing it from my hair and clothes.

"It can't be…" a voice muttered. I heard something metal, a cooking pan most likely, clatter to the stone floor. "Leo?"

"Calypso!" I jumped over the wheezing form of my dragon to see her.

Cinnamon colored hair cascaded down a slim sand covered figure and huge almond brown eyes stared out of sun kissed cheeks. Her dress, once clean and white had motor oil and dirt on the hem and torn sleeves. She didn't care what she looked like. Had she snapped?

"Calypso?"

Her pink-lipped mouth dropped to a perfect 'o.' "Leo?" tears welled in her eyes and she ran forward.

Was I being attacked?

I held my arms open for a hug flashing a grinning smile. Turns out I was being attacked. Calypso's strong fists pummel every inch of my upper body and I crumpled, hand over my bruised head. Eventually the beatings stopped and I looked up, one eye swollen shut.

Wanting to feel gipped or angry I turned my face up to her. But the second I caught sight of her tear streaked cheeks and wide wet eyes I melted. "Nice to see you too," I croaked.

She seemed to snap out of her violent spell. "Leo? Leo Valdez?"

"The one and only!" I gripped through my fat lip.

Her hard expression changed into one of horror. "Oh Gods!" She knelt next to me, careful fingers touching my blossoming bruises. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean–"

"Shut up." I lunged forward and wrapped her in a hug. "I came back," I spoke quickly, "I told you I would come back. This time I'm bringing you back with me. Now come one we've got to get going. There isn't a moment to–"

"Now it's your turn to shut up," her warm hands gripped my cheeks and it seemed to me an eternity of staring into her eyes and her into mine. Without warning she leaned into me and kissed me full on the lips.

And had infinity in that one moment. My right hand was tangled in her hair, at the base of her head, my left around her waist. Her bare arms wrapped around my shoulders and neck. I couldn't even feel the cut on my lip as it was numb by Calypso's healing touch. We still knelt in the sand but I felt like I was floating. I got to my feet, bruises and all, still locked in tight embrace. I spun her around, like they would in a movie.

With reluctance she backed out of the kissed, her head sinking to my chest.

"You got taller," she choked back tears of joy.

"I did, didn't I?"

"Why are you here Valdez?" she asked, lifting her head.

"I swore I would find you," my hands still held her close, "I swore on the river Styx."

She looked at me, appalled, "you're so stupid."

"You know you love it," I smiled.

"Obviously," she smiled back and dove into our kiss again.

Blissfully, I could've stayed on that beach with Calypso in my arms and hers wrapped around me. But we had to let go eventually. I stood, smiling stupidly, looking at her through my one, not swollen, eye.

"What?" she asked after a long moment.

"You."

"What about me."

"I never thought I'd see you again," I ran a gentle finger down her face.

"Nor I you."

"I'm just making up for lost time."

"By staring at me?"

"Why not?"

"Don't we have to go?"

I jumped, Calypso leaping from my grasp. "Of course," I cried. "Come on!"

"Are you sure about this?" She asked.

"Of course," I cried.

'I think.' I added silently.

We leaped on Festus and I hit his side. "Up buddy. Let's get back home." Smoke spilled out his nose and he whirled tiredly. "Come on," I urged. "We're not that far from camp I promise!"

Several clicks and a few creaks.

"What is it?" a knot of worry pulled in my stomach.

"Leo," Calypso's voice was small and terrified. I glanced back, seeing Festus's tail. It was slowly fading, vanishing into thin air.

"Get off!" I yelled. We tumbled to the ground and I watched, mortified, as my precious dragon disappeared.

"What was that?" Calypso cried.

I swore violently, jumping to my feet. "The gods can't even keep their stupid oath! We're stuck here. They won't let us leave. I swear when I see my dad–!"

"Calm down," Calypso's hand touched my arm.

I turned, my eyes locking with hers. Those dark orbs were filling with tears and I touched her shoulder, stroking it with my thumb. "I'll get you off this island. I swear on the–"

"No!" Calypso's hands clamped themselves over my mouth. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Go home. I don't mind this island. It has been my home for too long."

"I will never leave you," I gripped her arms. "Listen to me. Never."

She smiled, nodding. "I know you won't."

"We'll find a way out of here," I promised.

She nodded. "But what if we don't?"

"Don't talk like that."

"What if we don't?" She glared at me. "What will you do if you never find a way to get me out of here?"

"Then I will stay here with you for the rest of eternity," I confirmed.

"Don't say that. You can't say that," she melted into my arms. "What about your friends and your camp?"

"They'll manage. They have each other. And right now," I felt no nervousness, no shame, and no sorrow as I touched her warm cheek, cradling her chin in my hand. "Right now I have you and that's all that matters."

"Ok," Calypso sighed.

* * *

That night I slept in the sand by her cave, watching the stars. She offered to stay out with me but I told her it was fine.

I spent the rest of that night smiling in my sleep.

After that it took days to accept the inevitable. Every day the raft would come and every day I would take the wood on shore to build a better one. But the minute we set sail the raft vanished beneath our feet, leaving us waist deep in water.

We tried wings to the same effect as Icarus and Daedalus.

I suggested a submarine which she denied.

Then, one night, sitting by the fire watching the days raft float away looking almost disappointed, I spoke my mind.

"Calypso...?"

"Yes?" She looked up from the other side of the fire.

"I promised you we would get off this island and start a life back in my world..."

"Yes," she smiled sweetly, "you did."

"But, Calypso, in that world we would grow old and die."

She shuddered, rubbing her arms. "Yes. The idea does frighten me."

"So..." I reached across our tiny fire; my wrists licked by the flame, and grabbed her hands. "What if we stayed here?" I felt guilty but she just seemed confused.

"What do you mean?"

"We could stay here on your island and never grow old. It would just be us for the rest of eternity."

"You are not one to run away from your responsibilities," her brows furrowed.

"And I'm not," I squeezed her hands, "my responsibility is right here. And she knows I'll never leave her."

Calypso wasn't a crier, although my first day back could've convinced me otherwise. She was always strong for herself and for the others who came on her island. But the tears of overwhelming joy were so beautiful in the red glow of the flames that I couldn't help smiling. And I knew, as long as I had her, I would never stop.

"So we'll stay here," she nodded. "We'll have to tell your friends."

I nodded, dreading that moment.

She went into her cave, pulling out her strange scrying glass. It was late afternoon and I knew my friends would be in bunker nine, waiting for me like they promised.

The scrying glass rippled like it hadn't before and I knew the gods were giving us a chance to talk into the scene that lay before us.

Piper sat in a corner, absent mindedly braiding her hair, Jason next to her playing with a small screw in his fingers. Annabeth was clacking away on a laptop adorned with a greek delta symbol. Percy sat on the floor next to her, his head on her hip, fast asleep. Hazel paced up and down the bunker, a clean streak marking her well worn path. Frank wound and unwound the strap around his bow.

I expected my heart to throb with pain upon seeing them, to dread never seeing them again. But I just felt peace.

"Call to them," Calypso set the glass in the sand, upright so we could see them.

"Hey guys!" I greeted. My voice didn't catch and it didn't break. I sounded honestly, truly happy.

Percy woke, his head smashing Annabeth's hip, her laptop shut with a snap. Piper almost ripped out her hair and Jason fumbled with the screw. And Frank dropped his bow. Hazel seemed the only one prepared. She whirled around to face the small screen in the air where my face must have been.

"Leo!" she cried. "Are you alright? Do you need help?"

"I'm fine," I chuckled.

"Where are you?" Annabeth asked.

"That's a bit more complicated..." I rubbed the back of my neck, awkwardly. I saw Piper storming forward, eyes blazing and I instinctively flinched. "Hey Pipes..." I whimpered.

"Two and a half weeks, Leo! Seventeen days!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air.

I smiled awkwardly. "It took a while to–

"A while!" Piper lifted a hand to punch me. "A while is a couple of days. But half a month is insane. We were all worried out of our minds."

Jason put a hand on her shoulder and smiled at me, gratefully. "Hey buddy," he said.

"Hey," I waved.

Piper glared at me and sunk into Jason's grasp.

"I'm sorry," I apologized again. "It's been complicated." In all honesty I had completely forgotten about them.

"Where are you?" Annabeth clacked on her keyboard. "If something's wrong with Festus we could come get you."

"No," I held a hand up. "I got where I was planning on going."

They all froze.

"You found her?" Frank asked.

I scooted back and Calypso moved close to me, her shoulder touching mine. "Hello everyone," she smiled.

"Calypso?" Percy looked up, not loving, not longing, but astonished.

"Hello Percy Jackson," she nodded. "I see you have found happiness."

He backed up grabbing Annabeth's hand. "I did."

"I am glad." She looked to me, taking my hand, and I couldn't suppress my loving expression. "I have found my happiness as well."

We looked back to my friends and I watched all Piper's anger fade. "So..." Hazel was the first to venture. "When are you coming back?"

I tried to hide my wince. "I'm not."

All Hades broke loose behind the screen.

"What?"

"Why?"

"Leo!"

"What happened to–"

"Festus?"

I held up a hand and, surprisingly, they all stopped.

"It's the curse," I explained. "We can't leave the island." My fingers intertwined with Calypso's. "But I don't care."

"We will stay together." Calypso nodded.

"Alright," Piper, the last person I expected to say anything, did.

"Really?" My eye brows raised.

Piper rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "I may be dumb but I am a child of Aphrodite. I can sense love when it's real. I can tell you two would jump of cliffs and swim oceans for each other."

Calypso's head rested on my shoulder and she nodded happily. "Without hesitation."

"You see?" Piper gestured to us, glancing back at the others. "They're happy and in love and that's the best thing they could have."

"Thank you Piper McLean," Calypso spoke gratefully.

"So this is it?" Frank asked.

"This is the last time we'll see you?" Hazel finished.

"I guess so."

They all nodded, smiling at us.

I felt like there needed to be a speech. "Thank you all for being my friends." I began awkwardly. "And I'll miss you," why didn't I believe that? "Goodbye?"

"Goodbye Valdez," Percy saluted.

"See ya bud," Jason seemed the most crushed by my absence. But he gestured my forward.

I tried to talk and this time I felt my throat catch and I simply waved.

Then the message faded.

"You were strong," Calypso complimented.

"No I wasn't," I felt the swelling in me. "I just said what I had to."

"You will miss them," she looked so regretful.

"I will," I admitted, taking her other hand in mine. "But I told them the truth. I have you."

She kissed me again.

* * *

That night, under the stars a pounding in the back of my chest stopped. I was free to stay here with the most perfect girl in the history of the world. And I would be with her for longer than the rest of my life.

I fell asleep listening to Calypso's gentle singing.

"Leo?" Her gentle whisper woke me.

"Yea?" I rubbed my eye and looked at her blurry figure.

When I pushed the sleep out of my eyes I was again floored by how beautiful she was. Her long hair was fully down, flying in the gentle wind. She was kneeling next to me, her white nightgown covering her arms and chest.

"Leo?"

"What is it?" In the soft moonlight I caught tear stains on her sun kissed cheeks, a puffy quality clinging to her now red eyes. "What's wrong?" I sat up, brushing away her tears.

"I had a nightmare," she gripped her arms. "D-do you think it would be alright if I s-slept with you tonight?"

"Oh," I blushed six shades of red. "Um, sure."

I scooted aside on my sleeping mat and she laid next to me. I felt so awkward but she didn't seem to feel it. Curling up next to me her forehead touched my chest. Her fingers were intertwined on themselves and she was shaking slightly.

I didn't know what to say or do so I let my fingers wander through her tangled hair. My other hand touched hers and I felt the freezing tips.

"Calypso...?" I ventured. She didn't look up at me. "If you didn't mind... what were you dreaming about?"

Her lips thinned. "I..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," I winced, knowing I'd made her mad.

"No. It's fine," she scooted closer, enveloping me with the smell of hazelnuts. He brows furrowed. "I dreamed," her voice caught, "I dreamed that you had left me. We got into a fight and you told me you hated me." Her breaths were heavy with panic.

"Shhh," I pulled her to me and let my hands caress her hair. "You know I'd never do that. I'm never leaving you alone. Never again."

"I know," she mumbled. Within a few moments she was asleep again.

 **I must have written this ages and ages ago. I rediscovered it while digging through old fics. I hope you enjoy it despite the fact that this has only been done to death. I think it's cute**

 **Reviews please**


End file.
